Fonds F0167 - Ray Stevenson fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Ray Stevenson fonds

General material designation

    Parallel title

    Other title information

    Title statements of responsibility

    Title notes

    Level of description

    Fonds

    Reference code

    CA ON00370 F0167

    Edition area

    Edition statement

    Edition statement of responsibility

    Class of material specific details area

    Statement of scale (cartographic)

    Statement of projection (cartographic)

    Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

    Statement of scale (architectural)

    Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • 1915-2000 (Creation)

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    8.7 m of textual records ca. 1350 photographs 8 audio cassettes 1 video cassettes 1 compact disc 7 phonographs 2 microfilm reels

    Publisher's series area

    Title proper of publisher's series

    Parallel titles of publisher's series

    Other title information of publisher's series

    Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

    Numbering within publisher's series

    Note on publisher's series

    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    Biographical history

    Ray Stevenson is a trade union organizer and peace movement participant. He was born near Virden, Manitoba in 17 December 1919 and started working in mines there before joining Upper Canada Mines in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1939. He participated in the Mine Mill union organizational drive that culminated in the 'union recognition' strike of 1941-1942, which led to the Federal Government legislating compulsory bargaining. Stevenson was a member of the Communist Party of Canada from 1940 to 1998. He was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the Canadian Army in (1942-1946), but served at home, due to his political affiliations. Stevenson ran unsuccessfully for the Communist Party in the Ontario Provincial Election in 1945, and in 1946, he moved to Northern Ontario and became the Educational Director for Workers Co-op. He joined the Labour Progressive Party soon after and was a political organizer in Northern Ontario and Northwestern Quebec. In 1950, Stevenson went to work for Inco and was elected to the executive of Local 598 in 1951. Nationally, he served on the Canadian Mine Mill Council, sitting on Canadian Executive Board of the council until 1961 when he became executive editor at the Mine Mill Herald. When the Mine Mill Canada union merged in 1967 with the United Steel Workers of America, Stevenson served as editor of the USWA magazine 'Information' until 1972. From 1972-1978, he was acting Public Relations Director for USWA Canada. He left the USWA in 1978 to pursue his interests in the peace movement organizations, including the World Peace Council in Helsinki, Finland, the International Committee of Trade Unionists for Peace and Disarmament and the Canadian Peace Congress. Stevenson was also a founding editor of the 'Northstar Compass' from 1991 until his retirement in 1995.

    Custodial history

    Scope and content

    The fonds consists of correspondence, notes, speeches, newsletters, pamphlets, reports, newspaper clipping files and publications relating to Ray Stevenson's various activities as trade union member, labour organizer, member of the Communist Party of Canada, participant in the peace movement and Paul Robeson supporter.

    Notes area

    Physical condition

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Donated by Ray Stevenson in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

    Arrangement

    Language of material

      Script of material

        Location of originals

        Availability of other formats

        Restrictions on access

        Some restrictions apply. Communist Party of Canada minutes are closed until January 1, 2006.

        Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

        Finding aids

        archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/submissions/fonds/ON00370-f0000167.htm

        Associated materials

        Related materials

        Accruals

        The fonds comprises the following accessions: 1998-032, 1999-001, 2000-040. Further accruals may be expected.

        Alternative identifier(s)

        Standard number

        Standard number

        Access points

        Subject access points

        Place access points

        Name access points

        Genre access points

        Control area

        Description record identifier

        Institution identifier

        Rules or conventions

        Status

        Level of detail

        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Language of description

          Script of description

            Sources

            Accession area